Love?
by Alama
Summary: "Perhaps she could like this cub- Love? Love was too strong a word." This was never part of her plan. She didn't want cubs, she didn't need cubs. Zira contemplates her feelings for Nuka.


**I'm back! This has been on my computer for a while now and I'm just getting around to posting it… oops. I've wanted to write something about these two for a while now, this is the result. **

Love?

Cubs never charmed her. As far as she was concerned, cubs were nothing more than a distraction and a nuisance, wailing balls of fur that, at the end of the day, were nothing but in the way. Incapable of taking care of themselves, cubs required constant supervision and care, both of which Zira had no time for. If she was to gain the affection, the respect she desired, by _His Majesty King Scar_, she should not find herself distracted by trivial things such as infantile bothers. Cubs could gain her no such advantage, so they were an utter waste of her space and her time.

_Mew!_

So as she glowered at the infant _thing_ in her forepaws, she internally cursed herself for allowing anything of the sort to distract her. Old enough to where his own eyes had opened, bright amber eyes blinked innocently up at his mother as she scowled and hissed her discontent_. _Even as she continued to glower at the wiggling bag of skin and bones nestling into her side it continued to blink and stare at the lioness, blissfully unaware of his mother's hatred. He simply closed his eyes and comfortingly buried his nose into the crook of her arm. Wanting nothing more than to push the cub away, but also taking into consideration that this was the first quiet moment the mother had had in hours she inwardly groaned and turned her head, leaving the sleeping cub to its own devices.

Zira's gaze drifted from the snoozing infant to wafting out to the scenery of the night. Silver-lined clouds covered the nighttime sky, slightly shading the moon and the stars. Some lions chose to believe that the stars are the heavenly watchful eye of past royalty. The tanned lioness scoffed at the suggestion. Fables like that were simply tales to tell cubs.

_Cubs…_

An involuntary growl vibrated in her throat. If you were to ask her how she ended up in this situation, she would simply shrug it off as a moment of weakness-desperation. The act meant nothing. It was a formality-nothing more, nothing less. She had been alone; that strange lion had provided food and shelter for her and her lionesses, even if only for once night. At the time that was a necessity they could not surpass. In the morning, Zira and her lionesses were on their way. Unbeknownst to Zira did the male give her more than just a meal and a place to stay. Her sacrifice came with a price: a wailing, wriggling, demanding price.

Three moons after the affair and almost a fortnight after the infant's birth, the tanned lioness had yet to give the cub more than an ounce of attention, besides the necessary requirements to keep it alive and content. She had hardly even looked at it. Averting her gaze, despite her better judgment to ignore the cub burying its nose into her side, she found herself glancing back at it. She studied her cub for the first time, noting his dark features and pointed nose- much like her own. The cub made a suckling sound in his sleep before burying himself deeper into his mother's ribcage. For a mere second, a corner of Zira's lip began to upturn in a half-lopsided smile…_only _for a second. As quickly as the grin evaded her expressionless demeanor, with a sigh, her stone cold aura returned and her crimson eyes continued to wander through the shadows.

No distractions. Sure, the cub was cute-if you adored those types of things: suckling, furry little babies that batted their lashes and murmured indecipherable gibberish. A chorus of _awes _would echo through the cave by numerous lionesses. Not from her. The cub was a distraction from her future, a future that didn't involve a bunch of drooling, whining cubs crisscrossing through her forepaws. Despite her previous intentions, much to her despair, this cub was now a part of her life. Whether she liked it or not, his destiny was now intertwined with hers. She was stuck with him.

With another peaking glance back at the sleeping male, the elusive smile returned against her free will. He had buried his pointed nose into her side, a smile invading his own face. With a yawn, his tiny pink tongue lapped at Zira's side with a coo, before he settled comfortably into her tanned fur once again. The lioness was overcome by a feeling of warmth- a feeling she was not used to. For such a long time, she'd been on her own, exempting her lionesses. Her veins ran with ice, her demands cold, stone hard. That's how they got through it all. That warm fuzzy feeling that cub was giving her, if felt foreign. Yet, it didn't feel immoral. Perhaps she could like this cub- Love? Love was too strong a word.

She sighed deciding while the cub was a primary fault in her plan to claw her to the side of her heart's desired, she concluded that he may not be a total misconception. Craning her neck, she picked the little male by the nape of his neck as he moaned in protest and set him in front of her. With a swipe of her tongue, she dotted his face with soft, almost affectionate licks. Soon, the cub was lulled to sleep content and warm in his mother's embrace. For once, Zira didn't wish to push him away.

The mother pulled the infant closer, wrapping a protective paw around his small frame and lowered her own head. Lulled by the sound of her cub's rhythmic breathing, the tanned lioness drifted off. A chaste smile adorned her face as her eyelids fluttered. As she slept she dreamt of a new life by her King's side-cub included.

**Zira and Nuka have such an odd relationship, but deep down I really do think she cared for him. What do you guys think? Review and tell me. Until next time! **

**~Alama **


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